Cultivator



April 1941. A. RoNNlN G' CULTIVATOE Original Filed Aug. 26, 1938 Adoufi Banning Patented Apr. 1 1941 our :5. STATS 2,236,630 CULTIYATQR Adolph lto'nning, Minneapoiis, Minn.

Original application August 2d, 193%, Sariai No. 226,941. Divided and this application Decent berld, 1939, Serial No. 399,205

(on. six-4'7) 15 Claims.

such resiliency being inherent in the tool mounting and allowing individual flexing where a gang of such tools are employed. Another object is to provide a structure of this kind which includes, as a part of the mounting or draft means for the tool, per se, a blade element which enters the ground at a trailing angle such that it will slice or cut its way through roots, plants, or trash and prevent the accumulation of such matter ahead of the tool as usually occurs. A further object is to provide a mechanism of this kind in which the tool mounting or draft member'has a rudder-like action in the ground such as to guide the tool in the horizontal plane. Still a further object is to provide a tool and supporting mechanism by which the tools; when used in gangs, may be steered in connection with the tractor to maintain proper relation to the crop being worked and with depth adjustment means to positively control the working depth of the tools. These and other more detailed and specific objects will be disclosed in the course of the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a fragmenta y plan view of a tractor mounted cultivator mechanism embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation of a forward portion of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1, the tool being shown as running in the earth.

Fig. 3 is a further enlarged side elevation of the tool and mounting means alone.

This application is a division from my parent application Serial No. 226,941, filed August 26, 1938, for a Cultivator, now Patent No. 2,199,674, granted May 7, 1940.

Referring now with more particularity and by each end (only one end herein shown) laterally from the tractor. Support arms C are pivoted at D on the tractor and are extended forwardly therefrom to points of pivotal connection at E with the beam to thus support said beam for transverse shifting action. Such action is brought about by an arm F secured to the vertically axlsed steering post G of the tractorand connected by a link H- to one of the support arms Cso that movement of the steering post, by means of the steering wheel I and for the purpose of steering the front wheels J ofthe tractor, will shift said beam transversely. The implements carried by the beam are thus shifted or steered in accordance with the steering of the tractor giving what is termed coordinated steer- Draft members or arms 5 are connected at forward ends to the beam B to be pulled and supported thereby, said members being arranged to oscillate in a vertical plane with respect to the beam in any suitable manner. This may be carried out by provision of a sleeve 6 at each end of the beam to rotate thereon and by securing the frontal ends l of the draft members on the sleeve. The draft members trail rearwardly from the beam alongside the forward end of the tractor and may, of course, be adjusted transversely to vary the spacing between the-respective tools carried by the members. t

The draft members 5 are raised and lowered, for making depth adjustments of the tools, by means of a hand lever mechanism 8 at each side of the tractor, located at the rear thereof convenient to hand of the driver, and connected by a forwardly extending rod 9 with an arm l0 secured at H to each sleeve 6 and upwardly extended therefrom. By shifting the levers 8 the draft members at each side of the tractor may thus obviously be raised and lowered at the rear ends as may be desired.

members 5 comprise the tools or shovels l2 and the connecting or mounting'members l3. Said members I; are formed of fiat spring material having rear blade members or portions it set vertically or edgewise with respect to the ground and forward mounting portions or spring members l5 which act as springs and which are disposed at right angles to the blades l5 by twisting the material axially through substantially ninety degrees 'as shown at 16. The forward ends of the spring elements l5 are secured by bolts or rivets ll upon, or in notches in, the rear ends of the draft members 5, and these spring portions curve are tensioned to resiliently or yieldably resist any upward displacement at their rear ends.

The blades is are disposed in a downwardly and rearwardly trailing position so that the lower edge stands at a sharp upward and forward angle, substantially-less than a right angle. with respect to the ground in order thus to facilitate both the entrance of their rear ends into the ground and to afford a cutting or slicing action such that they will cut their way through roots, plants, or other like matter. The lower, forward edges of the blades may be .sharpened as shown at It to increase such cutting and penetrating action.

The tools or shovels I! are herein shown as of v-shaped form having rearwardly diverging wings or sweeps I. and the forwardly turned apices of the tools are welded or otherwise secured at 20 to overhanging tail portions 2i formed by extensions of the rear ends of the blades as clearly shown. Such mountings support the tools If substantially horizontally at the rear ends of the blades and in such manner that the tool will run through and in the ground in the proper position. A sharp point or fin .portion 22 of the blade depends below the tools I! forwardly thereof as shown.

The draft members l are shown as bent downwardly to dispose their rear ends at a position most convenient for connection to the tool mounting members I3.

In operation the blade members it will cut their way through the. ground ahead of the tools I! thus acting to guide said tool by a rudder-like action and also serving to slice through roots, plants, or-other debris and prevent an accumulation of such matter ahead of the tools; The flexing action of the spring members I! holds the tools to their work, but of course will allow the tools to rise and clear any obstructions which may come in the path of the blades It. The use of gauge wheeisor "floating-action-'supports for the tool gangs is thus made unnecessary.

The tools are steered with the tractor by the transverse shifting of the beam 3 as aforesaid and proper steering of the tools is greatly i'acilitated by the rudder or guiding action ofthe blades is in the ground. The tools are raised and lowered and hated at any desired level bll' protect by Letters Patent is:

i. In combination, a draft device, means for raising and lowering the draft device, an earth working tool assembly comprising a flat spring blade member having a lower edge disposed at a sharp angle for entering the earth with a forwa d!!! and downwardly slicing action, the irontal end portion of the blade member being twisted approximately ninety degrees, such frontal blade portion being attached to the draft device in a manner to yieldably support the rear portion for upward and downward movement relative to herdraft device, and, anearth working tool secured to the rear portion of the blade member.

. draft device to provide limited vertical flexibil- 2. In combination, a draft device, means for raisingandloweringthedraftdevice,atoolunit attached thereto and comprising a flat spring blade member disposed in a generally vertical fore and aft plane and having a lower edge dbposedat asharpangle with respect tothehurizontal so as to enter the earth with a forwardly and downwardly slicing action, a flat oping element connecting the forward end of the manber to the draft device, said spring elemmt being rigidly connected to the blade member and disposed at substantially right angles with respect thereto so as to provide for limited vertical flexibility of the latter with respect to the draft device and independently of raising and lowering adjustments thereof, and an earth working tool secured to the rear portion of the blade memher.

3. The combination with a draft device, of a tool unit comprising a flat blade member disposed in a substantially vertical fore and aft plane and having its entire lower edge disposed at a sharp angle with respect to the horizontal to enter the earth with a slicing action, a spring element extending from the forward end of the blade member and connecting the-same to the lty with respect to said draft device, and an earth working tool connected to the blade munher.

4. The combination with a draft device, of a ward and of the blade member and connected to the draft device, the said spring element having inherent resiliency suillcient to permit limited vertical movement of the blade member. and an earth working tool on the blade member, and the said cutting edge extending downwardly to the tool.

5. In a cultivator, a draft device, a blade member formed of spring material and arranged in a generally upright trailing position with its lower edge sharply inclined for cutting into the ground, a forward portion of the blade member being connected to the draft device and disposed to yieldably resist vertical movement of the blade member, and earth working means on the rear portion of the blade member.

6. In a cultivator, a draft device, a tool mounting member formed of a length of spring material twisted intermediate its ends to provide a forwardly disposed mounting portion and rear blade portion, the said mounting portion beingsecuredtothedraftdeviceandarehedto provide yielding vertical movement of the blade portion, the said blade portion being supported in a rearwardly and downwardly trailing position with its'iower edge sharply inclined to u:- tertheearthwithaslicingactiomandanurth working'tool on the blade portion rearwardly of the slicing edge thereof.

'I. In a cultivator, a draft device, a flat spring elementaecuredtosaiddraftdeviceandextend-' ed rearwardly thereform to provide limited veraasaeso working means on the rear of the said blade member.

8. In a cultivator, a draft member, a spring member secured to said draft member, a blade member extending from the end of the spring member and supported thereby in a trailing position, the said blade member having a lower cutting edge disposed at a sharp forward and upward inclination to enter the earth with a downwardly and forwardly slicing action, anearth working tool on the blade member, means for raising and lowering the draft member, and the said spring member being arranged to provide limited vertical flexibility of the blade member and tool independently of the adjustment of the draft member.

9. In a cultivator, a draft member, a spring member secured to said draft member, a blade member extending from the end of the spring member and supported thereby in a trailing position, the said blade member having a lower cutting edge disposed in a sharp forwardly and upwardly inclined position to enter the earth with a downwardly and forwardly slicing action, an earth working tool on the blade member, means for adjusting the draft member vertically to control the level of the blade member and tool, and the said spring member being arranged to provide limited yeiidable vertical movement of the blade member and tool at any adjusted position of the draft member.

10. In a tractor mounted cultivator, a transverse mounting member, a series of draft members connected at forward ends to the mounting member and extended rearwardly therefrom, means on the tractor for oscillating said mounting member to raise and lower the rear ends of the draft members, spring elements secured to.

the rear ends of the draft members, blade members extending in trailing position from the spring elements and supported thereby in rearwardly and downwardly sloping positions, the said blade members having lower cutting edges disposed at sharp angles with respect to the horizontal to enter theearth with a forwardly and downwardly slicing action, earth working tools on the blade, and the said spring elements having flexibility to provide limited vertical movement of the individual blade members and tools independently of the vertical adjustment of the draft members.

11, The combination with a tractor, of a cultivator mechanism comprising, a transverse beam, pivotal supports for th beam on the tractor, means for shifting said beam transversely in coordination with steering movements of the tracfront of the tractor, arms pivotally supporting the said beam for transverse shifting movement, an arm connected to the tractor for movement in accordance with steering movements of the tractor wheels and connected to the beam supporting arms to provide coordinated shifting movements of the beam, draft members connected to the beam, spring elements secured to the draft members and rearwardly extending therefrom, flat blade members extending from the rear ends of the spring elements and supported thereby at a downwardly trailing angle and generally upright fore and aft plane, the said blade members having lower edges disposed to enter the earth with a forward and downward slicing action, earth working tools mounted on the rear portions of the blade members, and the said spring elements being arranged to provide limited flexibility for individual vertical movements of the blade members and tools.

13. The combination with a tractor having steerable front wheels, of a cultivator mechanism comprising a beam transversely extending at the front of the tractor, arms pivotally supporting the said beam for transverse shifting movement,

an arm connected to the tractor for movement in accordance with steering movements of the tractor wheels and connectedto the beam supporting arms to provide coordinated shifting movements of the beam, draft members connected to the beam, spring elements secured to the draft members and rearwardly extending therefrom, fiat blade members extending from the rear ends of the spring elements and supported thereby at a downwardly trailing angle and generally upright fore and aft plane, the said blade members having lower edges disposed to enter the earth with a forward and downward slicing action, earth working tools mounted on the rear portions of the blade members, the said spring elements being arranged to provide limited flexibility for individual vertical movements of the blade members and tools, and means for raising and lowering the draft members on the beam for adjusting the level of the tools independently of individual yieldable movements thereof.

14. In a cultivator, a draft device, a flat blade arranged in a generally edgewise trailing position behind the draft device for slicing action in the ground, a flat spring member connecting the blade and the draft device and permitting limited up and down flexible movements of the blade,-

a rearwardly extending tail member on the blade. and a cultivating .tool secured to the said tail member to trail behind the blade.

15. In a cultivator, a draft device, an elongated flat blade disposed in edgewise trailing position behind the draft device to thereby enter the ground at its forward edge with a slicing action, a flat spring member connecting the blade to the draft device and having resiliency sufficient to permit limited up and down movement of the blade, an earth working tool secured to the rear end of the blade, and a portion of the forward edge of the blade being extended below the level of the tool.

ADOLPH RQNNING. 

